I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE BOE TODAY, IT JUST STATED THAT THEY HAD MY LETTER OF INTENT,MENTIONED WHEN AND WERE THEY WOULD OR COULD TEST THE CHILDREN ECT... ECT... IT ALSO MENTIONED THAT IF I WANTED TO BORROW THE SCHOOLS TEXTBOOKS ,TO GET INTO CONTACT WITH THE B.O.E. HOMESCHOOL COORDINATOR. I DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD BE AN AVAILABLE OPPTION TO ME OR NOT,I REALLY HADN'T DECIDED ON A CURRICULUM. I MUST ALSO SAY THAT CURRENTLY MY HUSBANDS HOURS AT WORK HAD RECENTLY BEEN CUT BACK. I HOPE THAT THIS CHANGES SOON ,BUT MONEY IS TIGHT CURRENTLY AND I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THIS MIGHT CHANGE. I GUESS I WAS JUST WONDERING IF OTHERS HAVE USED PUBLIC SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS, IF THEY DID WHAT IS THEIR OPINIONS AND THE PROS AND CONS OF USING THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM. I HAD THOUGHT THAT IF NOTHING ELSE IT MAY BE HANDY TO HAVE THEM FOR REFERENCE AND JUST TO SEE WHAT THE OTHER KIDS THEIR AGES ARE LEARNING! WHAT DO YA'LL THINK?

I guess the answer depends on why you are homeschoolign your child? What do you want your children to learn as a result of homeschooling? For example, I choose homeschooling because I want my children to have a strong moral foundation and compass. I want them to grow up living strong christian values. To know why these values are important and to defend these values. This can't be accomplished using public school text books.

So I would examine your motivation for homeschooling and see if it lines up with what's presented in public school textbooks. If it works for you then great - go for it.

I would disagree........I also want my children to have a strong moral values and that is why I have had them in Christian schools up until this year. (I have 4 children) Last year I decided to that I did not want to work full time because it takes me away from the children too much. Alas, the pay cut doesn't allow for four private school tuitions.

We homeschooled the first few years of elementry and I liked a lot of the Christian texts that showed for instance how Christ was apart of our foundation. How religious belief was a strong in the lives of many important Americans. Now, however for middle school, this year my oldest wants to throw her self into Algebra and Ecology. (At this point in her life her great interest is water/river health.) I believe we have given her such a strong foundation in God that we now don't have to have it printed out on every page. Even for a subject like Science.......................she has heard all of her life from us, "look at the greatness of God, the perfection of the stars, the beauty of your body, the perfection in each heartbeat, the mircle of a baby's birth,God did this, life is so sweet, so perfectly designed for us, that each day we need to be
thankful again and again."

We have a rather large painting on wood, that was made before the children were born that says
"Trust in God, with all of your heart, never rely on what you think you know, place God FIRST in everything you do, and the right path will always be made open to you" Proverbs 3 5-6 (it hangs in the kitchen, above the table)

At this point, my husband and I feel, that she has her foundation, at this point, after spending years putting God into her heart, we know that the older children can handle learning from a text that doesn't remind them that God is the most important part of their lives, they know it!

So I think most public school texts on certain subjects would be fine for older students. (I just find many of them boring)

I did have a situation once where I found something in a text book that I did not agree with and we talked about. The disagreement was political and not religious in nature.

What used to take my child away from home for 6 1/2 hours (and then over an hour of homework) is now accomplished in 3 to 4 hours (period - no work left to do later), leaving plenty of time for us to add extra studies (biblical, art, etc. - whatever we want to explore).

When asked how we're "doing"? How would any student "do" with individual attention? Wonderfully!!!

I don't believe that morals and ethics come from textbooks. Books provide information. Do we challenge or supplement that information? You bet!_________________The sun is always shining in my world!

I used the schools materials last year. I agree that morals and bible knowledge can still be a priority. My daughter is still in contact with friends from her school, so it is good that they are learning similar curriculum, even though it is very evident that she is learning far more from individual instruction. This is clearly noticed in letters and such from the others.